RIP Raymond Goethals

Monday 6 december 2004 is the day that Raymond Goethals passed away in a hospital in Brussels.
Here in Belgium, Goethals was a legend, and also very well known in Europe. To Milan-tifosi, he's most known as coach of Marseille in 1993 when they beated Milan in the CL-final.

Biography :
Born in Brussels on the 7th of October 1921, Raymond Goethals is to this day regarded as the greatest and most remarkable of Belgian trainers. His grasp of the game, which he is happy to share with others in his distinctive Brussels "ketje" accent, has earned him the nicknames “Raymond-the-Science” and "the Wizard”. Despite winning numerous Belgian championship titles, as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup, it was with a foreign club that he carried off his most illustrious title when he helped France to their first European Cup in 1993 by leading Olympique de Marseille to victory in the final.

His playing career started at the Brussels club of Daring where he was the resident goalkeeper between 1933 and 1949. He then joined Racing de Bruxelles, where he stayed until 1952. After stints as a trainer with Waremme and Saint-Trond, he was designated selector of the Belgian national team, a post that he filled between 1968 and 1976. In his opinion, his two greatest achievements with the Red Devils were coming third in the European Championships in 1972 and … not conceding one single goal to the Dutch national team, considered as the best in the world at that time.

At the head of Sporting d'Anderlecht he reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1977 before going on to win it in 1978. After spending short periods in France and Brazil, he joined Standard de Liège, with whom he won two Belgian Championship titles in 1982 and 1983 and once again reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1987 he returned to Sporting d'Anderlecht with whom he again won a Belgian Championship title and two Belgian Cups.

By this time, Raymond Goethals was almost 70 years of age but was yet to win his most prestigious title. In 1990, he landed at Bernard Tapie's Olympique de Marseille, who had the firm intention of winning a European Cup, which would mean a first for French football. The first attempt (1991) was a near miss, Marseille losing the final of the Champions' Club Cup on penalties to Red Star Belgrade. Two years later, in the final of the very first Champions League, the OM won one-nil against Milan AC. Raymond Goethals, who by then had risen to the rank of Saviour of French football, left the Marseille club that same year. He returned yet again to train Sporting d'Anderlecht for a year before leaving on a high note with a new Belgian Championship title.

Now over 80 years of age, Raymond Goethals remains a key figure in the world of football. The man who is known as “Raymond-the-Science” or “The Wizard” is still often in high demand for his psychology and his sense of tactics... and for the simple pleasure of listening to the cocky humour and outspokenness he imparts in his unmistakable Brussels accent.

A great loss for football and for Belgium ... RIP Raymundo !